-- I already put out my summer reading list, but for those of you who don't have time for books, or just want to expand your theatrical horizons, here's my list of plays that make for great reads. All are available online. --
10. Becky Shaw by Gian Gionfriddo - Every time I thought I had this play figured out, it threw a curveball at me. It's smart--and more importantly, believably written. What I love most about it is that it asks hard questions and doesn't dole out easy answers.
9. Three Viewings by Jeffrey Hatcher - Forget the first and third sections. They're good, but they're not anywhere NEAR as good as the second section--"Thirteen Things About Ed Carpolotti." It's a monologue (I love it, surprise?) that goes from being comedic, to dramatic, to suspenseful, to sweet--all the while never having the character deliver it get up from her couch. For weeks afterwards, I would recite the entire thing to friends over the phone--and they listened. How's that for a knock-out?
8. A Fair Country by Jon Rabin Baitz - Why this play doesn't get done constantly is beyond me. It's like All My Sons for the foreign policy generation. Baitz is more widely known now for his role in creating Brothers and Sisters, but he's one hell of a playwright. This play is intelligent without being hard to follow, moving without being melodramatic, and thoughtful without being preachy. God, do I have to produce this thing myself? Hmm...
7. From Doris to Darlene by Jordan Harrison - I love the term "degree of difficulty." What is the degree of difficulty when you start out to write a play? How about this one: Connect a doo-wop singer, Wagner, and a young boy dealing with his blossoming sexuality--and while you're at it, make sure the same song interweaves throughout each of their stories and create a narrative throughout the piece that actually works. I saw this at Playwrights Horizons last year. By the time this play was over, I couldn't even clap. I just sat there going--How the hell did he do that?
6. Back Back Back by Itmar Moses - An interesting take on a play about baseball. I thought it was just going to be a Take Me Out rip-off, but by the end of the first page I knew I was wrong. Moses writes dialogue with a definitive rhythm that lets his characters say what they need to without saying a word. All the interactions are intense and you're never really sure who's playing which side.
5. The Overwhelming by J.T. Rogers - In a lot of ways, I thought Hotel Rwanda said everything that needed to be said about the genocide there. Then I read this play, and I realized how stupid I was for even thinking that. This look at a white family from England arriving just in time for the politics to hit the fan is not just informative; it's a damn good thriller.
4. Man from Nebraska by Tracy Letts - You know, you'd think with August: Osage County becoming such a big hit, somebody would go back and find this Pulitzer-nominated gem and revive it already so people can see that Letts has been a genius for a lot longer than he's been getting credit for. This story about a crisis of faith is the best example of American-drenched writing I've read in a long time. Yes, Bug is also terrific play, but this is the one you don't know about--and should.
3. The American Plan by Richard Greenberg - This play was revived on Broadway earlier this year and far too many people missed it. It's about a relationship between mother and daughter, and believe me, there are moments when these two make Amanda and Laura look like the Gilmore Girls. What I love most about it is that it's Greenberg's simplest play, and yet it has all his strengths tied into it--great writing, great ideas, and a tender approach to all his characters that'll just make your heart break.
2. The New Century by Paul Rudnick - One of the most offensive things I've ever read...Read it immediately.
1. Romance Language by Peter Parnell - You're probably familiar with Parnell's fantastic play Red Noses and his adaptation of The Cider House Rules, but if you really want to read a sprawling, epic, downright insane play--check this one out. It features Emily Dickinson, Huck Finn, and Walt Whitman. Does it pull off what it's trying to achieve? Not even close. But man, is it fun to see this guy try.
10. Becky Shaw by Gian Gionfriddo - Every time I thought I had this play figured out, it threw a curveball at me. It's smart--and more importantly, believably written. What I love most about it is that it asks hard questions and doesn't dole out easy answers.
9. Three Viewings by Jeffrey Hatcher - Forget the first and third sections. They're good, but they're not anywhere NEAR as good as the second section--"Thirteen Things About Ed Carpolotti." It's a monologue (I love it, surprise?) that goes from being comedic, to dramatic, to suspenseful, to sweet--all the while never having the character deliver it get up from her couch. For weeks afterwards, I would recite the entire thing to friends over the phone--and they listened. How's that for a knock-out?
8. A Fair Country by Jon Rabin Baitz - Why this play doesn't get done constantly is beyond me. It's like All My Sons for the foreign policy generation. Baitz is more widely known now for his role in creating Brothers and Sisters, but he's one hell of a playwright. This play is intelligent without being hard to follow, moving without being melodramatic, and thoughtful without being preachy. God, do I have to produce this thing myself? Hmm...
7. From Doris to Darlene by Jordan Harrison - I love the term "degree of difficulty." What is the degree of difficulty when you start out to write a play? How about this one: Connect a doo-wop singer, Wagner, and a young boy dealing with his blossoming sexuality--and while you're at it, make sure the same song interweaves throughout each of their stories and create a narrative throughout the piece that actually works. I saw this at Playwrights Horizons last year. By the time this play was over, I couldn't even clap. I just sat there going--How the hell did he do that?
6. Back Back Back by Itmar Moses - An interesting take on a play about baseball. I thought it was just going to be a Take Me Out rip-off, but by the end of the first page I knew I was wrong. Moses writes dialogue with a definitive rhythm that lets his characters say what they need to without saying a word. All the interactions are intense and you're never really sure who's playing which side.
5. The Overwhelming by J.T. Rogers - In a lot of ways, I thought Hotel Rwanda said everything that needed to be said about the genocide there. Then I read this play, and I realized how stupid I was for even thinking that. This look at a white family from England arriving just in time for the politics to hit the fan is not just informative; it's a damn good thriller.
4. Man from Nebraska by Tracy Letts - You know, you'd think with August: Osage County becoming such a big hit, somebody would go back and find this Pulitzer-nominated gem and revive it already so people can see that Letts has been a genius for a lot longer than he's been getting credit for. This story about a crisis of faith is the best example of American-drenched writing I've read in a long time. Yes, Bug is also terrific play, but this is the one you don't know about--and should.
3. The American Plan by Richard Greenberg - This play was revived on Broadway earlier this year and far too many people missed it. It's about a relationship between mother and daughter, and believe me, there are moments when these two make Amanda and Laura look like the Gilmore Girls. What I love most about it is that it's Greenberg's simplest play, and yet it has all his strengths tied into it--great writing, great ideas, and a tender approach to all his characters that'll just make your heart break.
2. The New Century by Paul Rudnick - One of the most offensive things I've ever read...Read it immediately.
1. Romance Language by Peter Parnell - You're probably familiar with Parnell's fantastic play Red Noses and his adaptation of The Cider House Rules, but if you really want to read a sprawling, epic, downright insane play--check this one out. It features Emily Dickinson, Huck Finn, and Walt Whitman. Does it pull off what it's trying to achieve? Not even close. But man, is it fun to see this guy try.
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